150 let Sokola / 150th Anniversary of Sokol - Riegerovy sady (Prague) - Commercial Commemorations on Waymarking.com

Depicted modern memorial devoted to the 150th Anniversary of Sokol movement you can find in public park Riegerovy sady in Prague' residential district Vinohrady.

The memorial from steel with concrete tiered base, unveiled in October 8th, 2012, is work of artists Karel Holub and Petr Holub.

The Sokol movement (from the Slavic word for falcon) is a youth sport movement and gymnastics organization first founded in Prague in the Czech region of Austria-Hungary in 1862 by Miroslav Tyrš and Jindrich Fügner. Primarily a fitness training center, the Sokol, through lectures, discussions, and group outings provided what Tyrš viewed as physical, moral, and intellectual training for the nation. This training extended to men of all classes, and eventually to women. The movement also spread across all the regions populated by the Slavic culture (Poland (Sokól)), Slovene Lands, Serbia (SK Soko), Bulgaria, the Russian Empire (Poland, Ukraine, Belarus), and the rest of Austria-Hungary (e.g. Slovenia and Croatia). In many of these nations, the organization also served as an early precursor to the Scouting movements. Though officially an institution "above politics," the Sokol played an important part in the development of Czech nationalism, providing a forum for the spread of mass-based nationalist ideologies. The articles published in the Sokol journal, lectures held in the Sokol libraries, and theatrical performances at the massive gymnastic festivals called slets helped to craft and disseminate the Czech nationalist mythology and version of history. [wiki]